Typical wireless communication systems provide means for storing a set of contacts, such as an address book. The address book is usable to recall and assist in dialing or communicating with the entities associated with the entries in the address book. Furthermore, present systems generally presume a wireless communication device to be associated with a user account which is further associated with a particular wireless service provider.
This present arrangement thus impairs effective communication by mobile users, especially in the context of roaming or multi-provider arrangements. For one thing, the information about a user and the user's device is generally not available or not fully available to the network if the user is outside his or her home network. Also, this present arrangement is not conducive to rapid updating and maintenance of information relating to a user's contacts as the user and his or her mobile device move between points in an extended network, especially if such movement requires the cooperation of more than one service provider.
Accordingly, better systems and methods for managing contact information as it relates to wireless communication networks is needed. Specifically, improved and streamlined contact management systems and methods are useful for inter-provider cooperation in extended and multi-network operation for wireless communication. Some or all of the above considerations are addressed or resolved by the presently disclosed concepts, systems, and methods.